After waiting for a few minutes, you start to get a little anxious: You arent falling asleep.
You start to worry about your function the next day.
Then, you realize that trouble falling asleep seems to occur every Sunday night.
baona / Getty Images
Anticipating the Week Ahead May Provoke Anxiety
What makes Sunday night so special?
It seems to be most commonly associated with difficulty falling asleep.Insomniais defined astrouble falling or staying asleep.
There are lots of potential causes of insomnia.
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Sunday night may be the time that you start to think about the week ahead.
If you hate your job, or if it is stressful, you may approach the week with dread.
You might think about the coworkers who drive you crazy.
You might ruminate on the projects that seem overwhelming.
You might ponder the biggest stressors that you face in the week ahead.
None of these thoughts will be conducive to falling asleep.
It is very common to be sleep-deprived during the week.
You may get to bed too late or you may have to wake early.
Getting the children ready for school, or making the commute to work may prompt an earlier wake time.
You may get to bed too late due to projects that delay your bedtime.
As a result, you may not meet your individualsleep needsduring the week.
Each night, you may short yourself a little.
Night after night, your desire for sleep grows stronger.
When Saturday morning rolls around, you may sleep in.
You catch up on lost sleep and pay off the accumulatedsleep debt.
If you dont get up early Sunday morning, the same indulgence may recur.
How does this impact sleep?
You would probably sleep longer and deeper than you normally would.
All wakefulness builds this desire for sleep.
Conversely, when you sleep, you diminish the sleep drive.
By sleeping in, there is a delay in starting to build the desire for sleep.
It is almost like going to bed early.
Another contribution to poor sleep on Sunday night is our circadian rhythm.
We have a natural tendency toward sleep that is synchronized to the day-night patterns of light and darkness.
This is reinforced by our genetics as well asmorning light exposure.
It makes it harder for us to wake up and harder for us to fall asleep.
Our bodies respond best to regular patterns, and this includes the pattern of sleep and wakefulness.
Keep a regular wake time (with an alarm, if needed), even on the weekends.
Though these dont usually occur in the morning, they may frequently interrupt the afternoon.
Imagine how often you have seen someone dozing on a lazy Sunday afternoon!
Sports, movies, and reading seem perfectly paired for dozing on the weekends.
Unfortunately, naps can diminish the drive for sleep.
give a shot to avoid taking prolonged naps, especially if you have difficulty falling asleep at night.
Naps lasting 2 hours or more are especially problematic.
(These naps may also be sign of a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea.)
As much as possiblelimit naps to shorter periods, perhaps 15 to 20 minutes.
Better yetdon’t take them at all!
Falling asleep in the hours before bedtime will make it especially difficult to get to sleep.
Remember: If your insomnia is especially entrenched, cut out the naps completely until your sleep improves.
By going to bed at the same time every night, you will fall asleep more easily.
Sleepinessor drowsiness is different thanfatigue, tiredness, or exhaustion.
One can feel exhausted and not fall asleep.
Sleepiness is the strong desire for sleep that immediately precedes its onset.
Go to bed when you feel sleepy, including on the weekends.
Dont choose an optimistic bedtime based on when you would like to fall asleep.
Subsequently adjust your bedtime earlier to correspond with when you are feeling sleepy.
If you are not falling asleep, observe stimulus control.
These include changes in physical activity and the varying consumption of alcohol and caffeine.
Some people have very physical jobs.
The weekends might be their opportunity to recover and rest.
Decreased physical activity, including exercise, on the weekend may make it hard to fall asleep.
Alcohol may enhanceadenosinelevels and increase the desire for sleep.
Unfortunately, it is metabolized very quickly.
The levels drop and the desire for sleep disappears.
Avoid alcohol intake in the hours before bedtime.
Importantly, do not use alcohol as a nightcap.
Caffeine consumption can also impair our ability to sleep.
In others, reducing intake after mid-afternoon may be sufficient.
If you have insomnia, try eliminating late consumption of caffeine to learn if it is impacting you.
Are you reluctant to go to bed because it means ending the weekend?
Are you avoiding the stress of the work week?
Is it time to make serious changes in your life to relieve stress?
In rare cases, the use asleeping pillon Sunday nights may be helpful.
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
2016;11(2):e0149643.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0149643
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Relaxation Techniques for Health.
Fang Z, Rao H.Imaging homeostatic sleep pressure and circadian rhythm in the human brain.J Thorac Dis.
2017;9(5):E495E498.
doi:10.21037/jtd.2017.03.168
Sharma MP, Andrade C.Behavioral interventions for insomnia: Theory and practice.Indian J Psychiatry.
2012;54(4):359-366. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.104825
Kryger MHet al.Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine.Elsevier, 6th edition.
